5 best phones with edge displays

The very first phone with an edge display was the Galaxy Note Edge, way back in 2014. While the idea of a single-edge never really took off, in 2015 Samsung refined the concept by introducing the idea of a dual-edge design with the Galaxy S6 Edge. Since then, the curved screen has become standard on Samsung’s flagship smartphones.

But Samsung isn’t the only manufacturer to make phones with edge displays. Companies like Huawei and Xiaomi have followed the tech giant’s footsteps, although their devices haven’t grabbed as much attention as the Galaxy S and Note lines.

Curved displays look sexy and give smartphones a futuristic vibe, but they don’t provide much added functionality. They can also crack more easily if you drop a device on a hard surface. If you’re not scared by that and still want one, keep reading — you’ll find the five best phones with edge displays. 

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus

The curved sides of the Galaxy S9 series are less intense than on its predecessor.

The curved sides of the Galaxy S9 series are less intense than on the Galaxy S8, which makes swiping in from the edges of the screen a bit easier. The sides also don’t bleed all the way to the edge anymore, minimizing the risk of accidental palm presses when reaching to the opposite side of the screen.

The Galaxy S9 is equipped with a 5.8-inch display, while Plus version measures 6.2 inches. Both use Super AMOLED technology, offer QHD+ resolution, and have an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. There are only three other differences between the handsets: the camera, battery, and RAM. The Plus model is equipped with a dual-camera setup on the back, sports 6GB of RAM, and packs a 3,500mAh battery. The S9 has a single primary shooter, comes with 4GB of RAM, and features a 3,000mAh battery.

The rest of the specs are the same, including the latest and greatest Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chipset, an iris scanner, and a fingerprint scanner located below the camera (an improvement over the Galaxy S8). Samsung is selling the S9 for $720, while the Plus model can be yours for $840. Bottom-line, this is one of the best phones with edge display technology you’ll find. It’s also one of the best Android phones period.

To learn more about the devices, check out our review of the Galaxy S9 below.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Read more

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• Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus color comparison
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• Samsung Galaxy S9: First camera samples

Nokia 8 Sirocco

Nokia 8 Sirocco is an upgraded version of the Nokia 8 that launched back August 2017, and the first phone with an edge display from Nokia. It’s equipped with a larger 5.5-inch display (up from 5.3 inches) that’s curved on both sides, has a more eye-catching design with thinner bezels, and features improved water protection (IP67 vs IP54).

The handset sports a dual-camera setup on the back, kitted out with Carl Zeiss optics and 2x optical zoom. It features a Bothie mode, which lets you use front and back cameras simultaneously for split-screen photos and videos. The handset is part of Google’s Android One initiative, which guarantees a pure, bloat-free OS experience and timely updates.

Nokia’s flagship is powered by the Snapdragon 835 chipset instead of the newer 845, which means it packs a little less power than the Galaxy S9. However, it’s still more than capable enough to handle anything you throw at it. The Nokia 8 Sirocco also supports wireless charging and has 6GB of RAM. It doesn’t come with a headphone jack — which might be a dealbreaker for some. You’ll be able to get it from March for 750 euros (~$928).

Specs

Read more

• Nokia 8 Sirocco hands-on: High-end Android One
• Nokia 8 Sirocco: Release date, price, and availability
• Nokia 8 Sirocco: Spec sheet breakdown

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Like the Galaxy S9 series, the Note 8 sports a curved display, which gives it a trendy look. It measures 6.3 inches, making it slightly bigger than the S9 Plus. The Super AMOLED screen offers QHD+ resolution, with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.

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The Note 8 is a powerful device aimed at demanding users. You’ll find the Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 chipset under the hood — depending on the region — along with 6GB of RAM. It also sports a dual-camera setup on the back, features an iris scanner, and is IP68 rated for protection against water and dust. But what makes it unique is the S Pen that pops out from the bottom of the device and gives you another way to interact with the device.

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Like all smartphones, the Note 8 is not perfect. Its fingerprint scanner is located right next to the camera, which is impractical and looks weird. It’s also super-expensive, at $950 unlocked, which means it costs $110 more than the Galaxy S9 Plus, despite the Note 8 packing an older chipset.

Specs

Read more

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 specs
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 color comparison
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs the competition

Vivo Nex

The Vivo Nex represents an example of what the next edge-to-edge phone trend might be like. It has a huge 6.59-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel with almost no bezels for the 19.3:9 formatted screen. Indeed, its screen-to body ratio is over 91 percent.

The phone manages this feat because Vivo put the front facing 8MP camera inside its body, and it comes out of the casing when needed thanks to a “micro-stepper motor.” It also uses an under-display fingerprint scanner on the bottom half of the screen, and the display itself is used as the Nex’s audio speaker, with sound coming from the screen.

The Vivo Nex also comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage space, along with a dual rear camera setup; 12MP for the main sensor and a 5MP secondary camera. A big 4,000mAh battery is also included. At the moment, the Vivo Nex is available just in China for 4498 yuan (~$700) for the 128GB version and 4498 (~$780) for the 256GB model, although you can find some models on sale via eBay.

Specs

Read more

• Vivo Nex review
• Vivo Nex specs

Oppo Find X

Like the Vivo Nex, the Oppo Find X is an example of what more edge-to-edge phones could be like in the future. It has a 6.42-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. There is not a notch on this phone, and that means its screen-to-body ratio is the highest ever for a smartphone at 93.8 percent.

The Oppo Find X’s design puts both the dual rear 16MP  and 20MP cameras, and the25MP front-facing camera, inside the phone’s casing. It lifts up when the cameras are needed, and goes down when it is not needed. The front-facing camera supports 3D facial recognition to unlock the phone, but Oppo also chose to ditch the fingerprint sensor for the Find X as a result.

The phone also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage space. A big 3,730mAh battery  is also included. the Oppo Find X is supposed to launch in August in Europe and other parts of the world (although not the U.S.) for the price of 999 euros (~$1,160) . A special edition of the device, developed with Lamborghini, will set you back 1699 euros (~$1,970). For that money you get Lamborghini flair, but also 512GB of RAM, a slightly smaller 3,400mAh battery and Super VOOC fast charging (giving you 100 percent juice in 35 minutes).

Specs

Read more

• Oppo Find X review
• Oppo Find X specs

These are our picks for the best phones with edge displays, although there are a few other great options out there. Have we missed any major ones? Let us know in the comments!